The Importance of Being a Good Neighbor: When to Pray and When to Call the Police

Two nights ago I was woken up by the noise of persistent slamming at the neighbor's door. My sleep was deep, and between sleeping and being woken up, I heard a still voice: “If you don’t call the police for them, they will not call the police for you.” That statement made me resist the sleep, and I was on my feet trying to figure out what was taking place and what a man was yelling while hitting the neighbor’s door. I called the police, and I was told that they had already been called to deal with the situation.

While the police were patrolling our apartment block, I overheard them saying that something bad had happened in the same building a few days earlier (I assumed they were referring to the robbery in my apartment). Two crimes occurred just a few days apart in my apartment block. When the police came to investigate the robbery in my apartment, they mentioned that the last crime in my area had happened six months ago. They were surprised it occurred in broad daylight, in the apartment block where I live. 

Reflecting on the night when neighbors were dealing with domestic violence, I realized the importance of praying for my community. The adversary was intent on creating chaos, and someone had to intervene. I chose to respond as I usually do in difficult times, by committing to pray for the protection of my neighborhood both day and night, and to call the police when needed. 

“I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.” - Isaiah 62:6